Beckett Lake Lodge Alf

Pros

• The staff are very welcoming and attentive, with a wide range of activities for residents.
• Christine, the activities director, loves her job and keeps residents engaged with many activities.
• The Colonnade is very clean and has a peaceful atmosphere.
• The dining area is beautiful, and the staff are helpful.
• George, the executive director, has done an outstanding job and leads a professional, friendly team.
• Dee at the front desk is a gem.
• The food is good, and residents will never leave hungry.
• The community has a homey atmosphere and great staff.
• The facility is bright, cheerful, clean, and smells great.
• The staff are friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and compassionate.
• This place is amazing, with staff who feel like family and engaging activities that set it apart.
• Ashley is cheerful and welcoming; Juan and Tom are consistently helpful; the aides support each other and there are always activities.

Cons

• Aides were verbally abusive and slow to respond, with activities frequently canceled and the food unappealing.
• The facility failed to address a medical issue promptly, leaving the resident unresponsive the next day.
• The room was infested with cockroaches, including hundreds in the nightstand.
• Management blamed the roach problem on the resident's behavior rather than addressing it.
• Nursing staff mishandled catheter care, causing leaks and embarrassment.
• Pill management was poor, with medications sometimes not administered because they had run out.
• There was high turnover of employees, leading to inconsistent care.

Review

Across several Alabama assisted living communities, families describe a broad range of experiences that together paint a nuanced picture of what life in these environments can feel like. In one setting, the atmosphere is consistently welcoming, with staff who go beyond routine care to create a vibrant, engaging environment. The activities program stands out, led by a director who clearly loves her job and offers a wide array of options for residents to choose from. The dining ambiance is often described as beautiful, and the overall tone of the team is warm, attentive, and genuinely caring. In this environment, guests feel the care team is approachable and responsive, and families frequently note they would happily recommend the community to others.

Another community earns praise largely for its leadership and the ongoing positive interactions of the staff. A caregiver who travels from out of state highlights the executive director's strong leadership, stating that the entire team is professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. The activities director is described as lovely and highly engaged in keeping residents busy with meaningful events, while a front desk staff member is singled out as a real gem. The overall impression is that the food is decent and residents aren't left hungry, underscoring a sense of well-rounded care that touches on both daily needs and quality-of-life considerations.

The Colonnade receives a mix of equally strong compliments and sharp criticisms, illustrating how a single facility can feel like two different worlds depending on whom you ask. On the positive side, reviews speak to a homey atmosphere, a caring staff, and happy residents who feel that the community truly takes care of its people. Visitors consistently point to a peaceful ambiance, high cleanliness standards, and well-regarded dining spaces; several reviewers recommend The Colonnade, emphasizing its suitability for loved ones requiring assisted living and praising the welcoming process and the overall environment.

Yet there are equally forceful warnings about The Colonnade's challenges. One family describes a very difficult transition: verbal abuse from aides, long wait times for assistance, frequent cancellations of scheduled activities, and food that fails to excite. The head nurse and a few aides are acknowledged as especially helpful, but the impression remains that the facility has significant gaps in consistency and reliability. More troubling is a multi-faceted account of serious quality-of-care concerns during a crisis period: an upper-respiratory illness, a lack of timely responses from some leadership, and a sequence of events culminating in a patient being found in distress. The report details a nightstand infested with cockroaches and an atmosphere in which previous concerns about infestation apparently were not adequately addressed, leading to a broader conclusion that the site may be better suited to independent living than assisted living for some residents. This review also notes the loss of personal belongings and a lack of clear communication regarding credits or timelines after moving out, contributing to a strongly negative overall impression.

Across the spectrum of experiences, some reviewers emphasize the quality of the physical environment and the warmth of the staff in other facilities that share the same network or similar service models. One account highlights very pleasant surroundings, comfortable apartments, varied activities, and good food, all contributing to a sense that life at the facility is both enjoyable and well structured. Another voice focuses on a "5-star" sentiment, praising the community's care standards and the consistent attention given to residents. A separate message extols the staff as being like family, with multiple team members going above and beyond - names like Ashley, Juan, Tom, and Joey are associated with cheerful, welcoming front-desk and dining-room experiences, underscoring a bright, clean, and engaging environment where residents appear content and well cared for.

However, not every experience with these facilities is positive. A few reviews offer stark warnings: reports of rude staff behavior, unsanitary kitchen conditions, and infestations that extend to residents' rooms and kitchens, compounded by concerns about under-staffing and underpayment. One particularly harsh critique focuses on ongoing nursing challenges, with claims that catheter management, medication administration, and general responsiveness were seriously lacking, leading to embarrassing episodes and unsafe conditions in common areas. Another perspective notes high turnover among employees, inconsistent quality of care, and missing personal items, all of which contribute to a sense of instability and doubt about the facility's ability to sustain reliable, compassionate care over time.

In sum, the narratives reveal a landscape where several communities excel in creating welcoming, activity-rich environments with friendly staff, clean spaces, and attentive dining and administration. At the same time, other experiences raise serious concerns about care quality, maintenance, cleanliness, resident safety, and leadership responsiveness. The contrasts underscore how critical it is for families to visit in person, ask pointed questions about staffing, care protocols, and emergency responsiveness, and seek out multiple perspectives before making a decision. They also highlight the importance of ongoing oversight, transparent communication, and robust infestation control and medication management as essential components of trustworthy, high-quality senior living.

This part of Clearwater, Florida offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to seniors looking for convenience and accessibility. With multiple restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, and physicians within a short distance, residents have easy access to dining options and healthcare facilities. The abundance of parks nearby such as Kapok Park and Eagle Lake Park provides opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation in nature. For medical emergencies, Mease Countryside Hospital is located just a few miles away. Additionally, transportation is easily accessible with the St Pete-Clearwater International Airport located within close proximity. Overall, this area combines the convenience of city living with the tranquility of suburban surroundings, making it an ideal choice for senior living.

Restaurants

• Duff's Buffet (1.4 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (1.4 miles)
• BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (1.6 miles)
• P.F. Chang's China Bistro (1.6 miles)
• Norton's Sports Bar & Grill (1.9 miles)
• McDonald's (2 miles)
• Our Place (2 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.5 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Belleair Coffee Company (6.9 miles)

Physicians

• Clearwater Pediatric Care (1.8 miles)
• Virginia Street Dermatology (2.7 miles)
• Dunedin Pediatrics (2.9 miles)
• The Reproductive Medicine Group (3.7 miles)
• Florida Department of Health, Pinellas County Health Department, Clearwater Center (3.7 miles)
• North Pinellas Surgery Center (3.7 miles)
• Academic Alliance in Dermatology (4.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.2 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (2.3 miles)

Parks

• Kapok Park (2.2 miles)
• McMullen Booth Tennis Center Clearwater FL (2.8 miles)
• Cooper Bayou Park (3.1 miles)
• Dog Run (3.8 miles)
• Stirling Park (4.1 miles)
• Eagle Lake Park (4.4 miles)
• Canal Park (4.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Mease Countryside Hospital (3.8 miles)
• Mease Countryside Hospital-Medical Arts Building (3.8 miles)
• Morton Plant Hospital (4.6 miles)
• Morgan Heart Hospital (4.7 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Woodlands Square 20 (4.8 miles)

Transportation

• St Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) (6.8 miles)